Scintillating sign



June 13 1939. w M ILVANI SCINTILLATING SIGN Filed May 7, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet l June 1939- W. G. M ILVANIE 2 1 27 SCINTILLATING SIGNFiled May '7, 1958 2 Sheds-Sheet 2 (I Zlace Gflqlrani Patented June 13,1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a scintillating sign. An object of theinvention is the provision of a sign formed of words or figures witheither the word or the figure being made of sections of re- 5 flectingsurfaces upon which light rays are projected with either the reflectingsurfaces being agitated or the light rays being moved in such a mannerthat the same effect would be produced from the reflecting surfaces.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a sign containingletters for advertisements or figures of various kinds may be employedeither singly or in connection with words, the letters or figures beingformed of a plurality of reflecting surfaces which may be oscillateduniformly or in an irregular manner so that when light rays areprojected onto the reflecting surfaces an observer will get the effectof a scintillating or sparkling sign.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a sign in whichthe display elements are formed of a plurality of rockable mirrors uponwhich light rays are directed so that a scintillating effect of theprojected light will be had.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, in vieW of the accompanying drawingsforming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, beingsusceptible of such changes and modifications as define no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation partly in section of a sign constructedin accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the device with the base of thehousing removed,

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 3-3 ofFigure 1,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view inelevation showing part of theoperating mechanism for oscillating the mirrors of the sign,

Figure 5 is a vertical section of one of the mirrors forming the signshowing the irregular rear surface,

Figure 6 is a front view in elevation of the reflecting surfacedisclosed in Fig. 5,

Figures 7 and 8 show, respectively, modified forms of the rear surfacesof the reflecting members, 7

Figure 9 is a view in perspective of a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I0

designates generally a housing in which the operating mechanism foroscillating reflecting surfaces is contained. A cover H is secured inany approved manner to the top of the housing to protect the mechanismagainst the elements. The bottom l2 of the housing provides a supportfor the sign for any suitable position of said sign. The housing may bemade of any shape and the shape will depend upon the particularconditions met with where variations in the design will require changes.

An electric motor I3 is located within the housing [0 and is supportedby the floor l2 and is secured in any suitable manner to said basemember. A pulley I4 is connected to a drive shaft l5 of the motor andthis pulley by means of a belt l6 drives a second pulley ll secured to ashaft I8 which is mounted in bearings I9 supported from the top H ofthe. housing H].

A pitman has one end pivotally mounted on an eccentric pin 2| secured tothe side face of the pulley IT. The opposite end of the pitman ispivotally connected at 22 with a rockable lever 23 rigidly connectedwith a rod 24 at its central point.

A pair of reciprocating links 25 and 26 are located within the housingIn. Link 25 is pivotally connected at 21 with one end of the lever 23While the adjacent end of the link 26 is pivotally connected at 28 withthe opposite end of said lever.

A plurality of levers 3!! have their outer ends pivotally connected at3| with the link 25. A plu- 'rality of alternately disposed levers 32have their outer ends pivotally connected at 33 to the link 26. Thelast-mentioned series of levers extends diametrically opposite to thelevers 3i! and are alternately disposed with respect to the levers 30.

A plurality of rods, designated by the numerals 35 to 40, inclusive, arevertically mounted and have their lower ends rigidly connected with theinner ends of the adjacently disposed levers 30. A plurality of rods 4|to 45, inclusive, are alternately disposed with respect to the rods 35and 40, inclusive, and are respectively connected with the inner ends ofthe adjacently disposed levers 32. Thus it will be seen that when thelever 23 is rocked the links 25 and 26 will be reciprocated in oppositedirections so that the levers 33 as well as the levers 32 will berocked, but the lastmentioned levers will be rocked in oppositedirections to the rocking of the levers 33 whereby the rods 35 to 40,inclusive, will be rocked in an opposite direction to the rocking of therods 4| to 45, inclusive.

A series of sections of reflecting surfaces which may be mirrors or anyother equivalent medium are rigidly connected to the outer projectingends of the rods 24, 35 to 40, inclusive and 4| to 45, inclusive, andthese sections of the reflecting surfaces are so constructed that theywill form words, sentences, or figures or a combination of words andfigures as an adverti sement or display sign either within a, build- 7ing or exteriorly of said building. Thereflecting surfaces, generallydesignated by the numeral 50, are so designed in Fig. 1 that they spellthe word Frocks or any other word or group of words j may be employed.It will also be noted in this I instance that each word has sections 5|and 52' as shown in the letter F which are rocked by difierent shafts 24and 35 but in this instance ,,the two shafts are rocked in the samedirection sothat the reflecting members 5| and 52 are also rocked in thesame direction. However, the members 53 and 54 forming the letter T. arecarried bythe shafts 4i and'36. so that these reflecting members arerocked in opposite directions and this is also true of the remaininggroups or pairs of reflecting surfaces. While only two pairs of shaftsare illustrated in the drawings for rocking two sections of aletter itwill be appreciated that any number of the sections may be employed toform a letter with each section being rocked by a difierent shaft andany combination of synchronous rocking or opposed rocking movement maybe employed for the various reflecting surfaces forming a letter. 7

In order to produce a scintillating efiect not only through the rockingof the mirrors synchronously in the same direction or in oppositedirections the rear or backs of the reflecting surfaces are corrugatedas shown in Figs. 5 to 8,

inclusive, and these corrugations may be of different forms. V r InFigs. 5 and 6 the vertical section of the refleeting surface gives theappearance of a saw upstanding ridges 60.

In Fig. '8 the member BI is provided with convex surfaces 62 and spacedgrooves 63; The entire rear surfaces in Figs. '7. and 8 are both coveredwitha reflecting medium of a well known type.

Located. along on e longitudinal edge of the housing It! is achannel-shaped reflector 65 in which is placed an elongated lamp 56.This lamp may be of the .well known filament type or it maybe a neonlamp. 1 I A plug 10 is adapted to be connected with the usual socket orhousecurrent and to-thisis con- 65' nected a wire ll running to themotor [3. 'Wires [2 and 13 extend from theplug 10 to a rheostat,generally designated by the numeral 1.4,;while wires 15 and 16 extendfrom the rheostat to the neon lamp 66. The element 14 controls the voltage of the current through the lamp 66 and also to the motor l3 wherethe motor is of small capac ity and the member 14 may be disregardedwhere i the sign is of suflicient sizethat the house current willoperate the motor l3. and cause illumination of the lamp 66.

In Figure 9 is shown a modified form of the invention in which lamps areoscillated or agitated together with reflectors 8! for projectingscintillating light rays on a sign as shown. in Fig. 1 in which theletters are made up of fragmentary pieces of reflecting surfaces.

Each of the reflecting members 81 is carried by ahead ,82 which has apintle 83 mounted in a block-84;, =;.,'I'he blocks 84 are carried by abase member 85.'

I The head 82, located at one extreme end of the base member 85, isconnected to a yoke 81 formed on a reciprocating rod 88. This rod isvreciprocated in any approved manner and more particularly in the mannershown in Fig. '2. The other series of levers 89 is pivotally connectedat 90 with the rod 88 so that all of. the reflectors 8i and the bulbs8!] are rocked in unison. 0n the other hand alternate arms 59 7directions, a link located upon each side of the group or rods andconnected to the free ends of said levers, means oscillating said linksfor rocking the rods, and means projecting light rays on the reflectingmembers.

2. A scintillating sign comprising a base, spaced rockable rodsprojecting upwardly from said base;

a plurality of reflecting members secured to the free ends of the rods,a lever rigidly secured to each rod, alternate levers projecting inopposite directions from the other levers, a link having pivotalconnections with the'free ends of the lastm'entioned levers, a secondlink having pivotally connection with the free ends of the other levers,means for reciprocating the links alternately in opposite directions,and means projecting light rays on the reflecting members.

3; A scintillating sign comprising a base, a

plurality'of spaced rockable supporting means mounted on the base, aplurality of reflecting members arranged to form indicia and connectedto'the supporting means, means for rocking said supporting means,-means. projecting light rays on the reflecting members, and meansincluded in the rockingjme'ans for causing alternate supporting meansto'be moved in anJop-posite direetion to that ofthe other supportingmeans.

4. A 'scintillating' sign comprising a base, a plurality of reflectingmembers arranged on. said base tofo'rm-indicia, means projecting lightrays on said members, and means for rocking certain of the reflectingmembers: in. one direction while rocking the remaining. reflectingmembers in the opposite direction.

'5. A scintillating sign comprising a base, a plurality of reflectingmembers arranged to form indicia, means for projecting light rays onsaid members, means for moving the projecting means to cause the lightrays to strike the reflecting members at :various. angles of incidence.

' WALLACE G. McILVANIE.

